Road sweeping machines



July l1, 1961 A. T. c. DEAR ETAL 2,991,492

ROAD SWEEPING MACHINES Filed Feb. 27, 1958 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 July 11, 1961 A, T. c, DEAR ETAL ROAD SWEEPING MACHINES 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Feb. 27, 1958 /NVE/TOES Manzana/e7 s@wao una? en? TTOQNEY July 11, 1961 A. T. c. DEAR ETAL ROAD swEEPING MACHINES Filed Feb. 27, 1958 HIL /NVENT'OIQS www man @zum en) 6 n/,w65 M 7727x691 July 11 1951 A. T. c. DEAR ETAL 2,991,492

ROAD swEEPING MACHINES Filed Feb. 27, 1958 5 Sheets-Sheet 4 WYE/vrees 5 .mze 712)@ 'July 11, 1961 Fi1ed Feb. 27, '195e A. T. c. DEAR ET AL 2,991,492

ROAD swEEPING MACHINES 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 /N VEN 70.85 n au United States Patent O ce 2,991,492 ROAD SWEEPING MACHINES Alexander Thomas Cameron Dear, West Bromwich, and

Kenneth Leslie Merther, Great Barr, Birmingham, England, assignors to Lewin Road Sweepers Limited, West Bromwich, England, a British company Filed Feb. 27, 1958, Ser. No. 718,041 Claims priority, application Great Britain Mar. 5, 1957 6 Claims. (Cl. 15-87) The present invention relates to road sweeping machines of the kind provided at one side with a gutter or channel sweeping brush carried on a shaft which is mounted for rotation about a vertical or substantially vertical axis, said brush being driven and being arranged to sweep refuse inwardly towards the longtiudinal centre line of the machine. Such road sweeping machines will hereinafter be referred to as being of the kind specified.

It is desirable to make provision in road sweeping machines of the 'kind specified for swinging the gutter or channel sweeping brush into or away from the side of the machine. For example, it may be desired to arrange that the gutter sweeping brush is movable so as to lie close to the side of the machine when t'he machine is travelling to and from the road which is being swept, it being required then to swing the brush outwardly with respect to the machine so as to extend into the gutter when the sweeping operation commences. Alternatively, sweeping may be carried out in either of the aforementioned positions but in either case it is necessary to mount the gutter sweeping brush in such a way as to allow it to be swung inwardly and outwardly with respect to the side of the machine or vehicle.

- Further, in order to ensure eicient sweeping, it is desirable that the gutter sweeping brush should be tilted so that only those bristles lying forwardly of the centre line of the brush should be brought into contact with the ground and preferably it is desirable `that contact should be established by only those bristles lying in that sector of the brush which lies on that side of the brush remote from the machine. In this way the most eilicient sweeping action results and refuse can be swept easily inwards towards the longitudinal centre line of the machine.

`One of the objects of the present invention is to provide a road sweeping machine wherein the gutter or channel sweeping brush is connected to the machine by means of a mounting which allows the gutter or channel sweeping brush to be so disposed in its operative sweeping position that only those bristles lying forwardly of the axis of rotation of the brush are brought into contact with the surface being swept.

A further object of the present invention is to provide aroad sweeping machine wherein the mounting for the gutter or channel sweeping brush is such that any orientation given to the brush will be maintained irrespective of the position of the mounting with regard to the machine.

Yet a further object of the present invention is to provide a road sweeping machine wherein the gutter or channel sweeping brush mounting is so arranged that an accurate and controllable adjustment of the inclination of the brush can be easily achieved.

According to the present invention there is provided a road sweeping machine having a gutter sweeping brush and a brush carrying shaft which is arranged to be rotated about a substantially vertical axis and on which said gutter sweeping brush is mounted, wherein there is provided a mounting for said gutter sweeping brush comprising a furlmember parallel motion linkage having a vertical member pivotally connected to the machine about a substantially vertical axis, two longitudinal members, each pivotally connected at one end to said vertical member about a substantially horizontal axis transverse to the di- Patented July 11, 1961 a rection of advancement of the machine and aifourth member comprising t'wo parts, one part forming a housing for said brush carrying shaft and being pivotally'fconnected to one of said two longitudinal members 'about one' substantially horizontal axis and the other part being connected to the other longitudinal member, and connecting means for connecting together said two parts of the twopart fourth member, said connecting means being adjustable so as to permit of said housing being inclined to the vertical in one predetermined direction.

In an alternative embodiment the housing for said brush carrying shaft may be pivotally connected to one of said two longitudinal members about two substantially horizontal axes and the means connecting the two parts of the two-part fourth member would then be such as to permit of said housing being adjustably inclined to the vertical in each of two mutually transverse (e.g. mutually perpendicular) directions so that said housing, together with its associated brush carrying shaft, may be set to any predetermined orientation with respect to the vertical. It will be understood that said orientation, once set, will be maintained by means of the parallel motion linkage during movement of the brush towards or away from the side of the machine or during movement of the brush in an upward or downward direction.

The drive from the road sweeping machine to the gutter` sweeping brush may be arranged in any convenient manner such as, for example, by means of a hydraulic drive, a flexible shaft drive, or a telescopic driving shaft. We may also provide a reduction gear mounted on or connected to the housing for the brush carrying shaft and where a telescopic driving shaft is provided the arrangement may be such that said reduction gear is maintained in a predetermined orientation with respect to the machine as the brush and its associated linkage is swung away from or into the machine, thus avoiding any undue angularity on such telescopic driving shaft.

Accordingly there may be provided a further parallel motion linkage connected to the housing or to the reduction gear (such as, for example, a reduction gear box housing a worm and worm wheel) whereby said reduction gear can be maintained in a predetermined orientation with respect to the machine.

The connecting means for connect-ing together the two parts of the two-part fourth member may conveniently comprise screw threaded means so as to enable accurate and fine adjustment to be carried out and to this end there may be provided a member such as a casting having one or two screw threaded 'apertures extending therethrough, together with one or two screwed bolts which may be passed through said aperture or apertures, said member having the `aperture or apertures then-forming one of the parts of the two-part fourth member.

The invention will vnow be described with reference to the accompanying drawings wherein:

FIGURE l is a side elevation of a road sweeping machine constructed in yaccordance with the present invention.

4FIGURE 2 is a plan view of the machine shown in FIGURE 1.

FIGURE 3 is a part sectional side elevation. showing the mounting fof the gutter or channel sweeping brush shown in FIGURES l Iand 2, FIGURE 3 being on a somewhat enlarged scale.

FIGURE 4 is a fragmentary plan view showing the mounting of the gutter sweeping brush depicted in FIG- URE 3.

FIGURES 5 Iand `6 are, respectively, -a section onthe lines V-V yand a plan takenv on,y the line VI'-VI of` FIGURE 3. y

Referring -iirstly to FIGURES 1 and 2, there is provided a road sweeping machine or vehicle 10 which is' provided with horizontal road sweeping brushes 11 extending, as shown in FIGURE 2, in four sections across substantially the whole width of the vehicle.

The machine is also provided with a gutter or channel sweeping brush 12 mounted on one side of the machine, the arrangement being that in use the machine is driven along a road with the main horizontal brushes 11 sweeping the surface of the road or a portion of the width thereof and the lgutter sweeping brush 12 sweeping out refuse from the adjacent gutter. It will be noted from FIGURE 2 that the steering wheel 13 and thus the driving position of the vehicle is also on the same side of the machine in order that the operator may have a better view of the channel or gutter being swept.

The horizontal brushes 11 and the gutter sweeping brush 12 are connected to a power unit provided on the machine, such connection to the gutter sweeping brush being, for example, by means of a telescopic driving shaft 14.

Referring now to FIGURES 3 and 4, which show on a somewhat enlarged scale the mounting of the gutter sweeping brush, said gutter sweeping brush is mounted on the side of the machine by means of a parallel motion linkage, which linkage is provided with one vertical member 15 arranged to pivot about a vertical or substantially vertical axis and connected to the side of the vehicle by suitable brackets or attachment plates 16 having bearings for said vertical member 15. Said vertical member 15 is also provided with a pair of laterally projecting arms 17, which are connected to a spring loading assembly 18 (see FIGURE 4), such spring loading assembly forming no part of the present invention, being described in our co-pending application of even date.

The vertical member 15 is provided at its upper and lower ends with pivot pins 19 and 20, each of said pivot pins 19 and 20 being arranged to pivot about an axis which is transverse to the direction of advancement of the machine and which, in this particular construction, is horizontal or substantially horizontal.

Connected to either end of said vertical member by means of the pivot pins 19 and 20 are two longitudinal members 21 and 22, each of which is in the form of a framework having two parallel tubular members such as are indicated by reference numerals 23 and 24 in FIG- URES 4 and 6. The framework lmay be provided, if desired, with suitable cross bracing.

The two longitudinal members 21 and 22 are provided 4at their outer ends, namely the ends opposite to the verti al member 15 with further pivot points 25 and 26 and the arrangement is such that a line passing through said further pivot points 25 and 26 is parallel to the line passing through the other ends of the longitudinal members 21 and 22 where they are pivotally connected at 19 and 20 to the vertical member 15. The distance between the two pivot points 19 and 25 on one longitudinal member is equal to the corresponding distance between the otherpivot points and 26 on the other longitudinal member so that there is provided a parallel motion linkage.

For the purpose of raising and lowering said longitudinal members 21 and 22, we provide a hydraulic ram 27 which is connected between a fixed bracket attached to the machine and a cross member 28 forming part of the bracing of the upper longitudinal member 21, said hydraulic ram 27 being connected in a hydraulic system designed to control the Sweeping pressure exerted by the gutter sweeping brush and which forms the subject of our further co-pending application of even date.

. So far three members, namely the members 15, 21 and 22 of a four-member parallel motion linkage have been described. The fourth member of the linkage is in fact in two parts, one ofsaid parts being formed by a housing 29 for the brush-carrying shaft 30, to the upper end of which housing 29 is connected a reduction fgear box 31 for the purpose of transmitting driving to said brush-carrying shaft.

The other part of the two-part member is formed by means of a one-piece casting 32, which is provided with two lmutually transverse bosses 33 and 34, centrally drilled from end to end and tapped so as to produce two mutually transverse threaded apertures passing from side to side, one above the other, in said one-piece casting.

A plate 35 (FIGURES 3, 4 and 5) is mounted on the upper end of the housing and is provided with a circular spigot 35a which is received in a hole in a superimposed plate 35b; the spigot and hole enable the housing to pivot about a vertical axis: welded to said plate 35b are two lugs 36 and 37 which are drilled with aligned plain apertures through which they may be passed a screwed bolt 38. The arrangement is such that the bolt 38 may be passed through the aperture in the lug 36 and thence through the screwed -aperture in the boss 34 before being inserted into the aperture in the other lug 37 at the top of the reduction gear box. A circlip 39 is provided at the inner side of the lug 36 so that by rotating said bolt 38 with respect to the boss 34, said boss 34 will be moved longitudinally relative to the bolt and by reason of the fact that said bolt 38 is connected via the lug 36 and plate 35 to the reduction gear box 31, and thence to the housing 29 of the brush-carrying shaft, said housing 29 will be tilted.

Similarly we provide a further screwed bolt 40 (see FIGURE 4) which is adapted to co-act with the other threaded aperture provided in the boss 33 of the onepiece casting 32 and in this case said bolt 40 is adapted to be passed through the outer end of the upper longitudinal member 21, a convenient arrangement `being that there is provided a pair of aligned holes in the two tubular members 23 and 24 of said upper longitudinal member 21 or in extensions thereof. Each of said apertures provided at the outer end of the upper longitudinal member 21 is plain so that the bolt 40 may be passed through one of such apertures, thence through the screwed boss 33 and finally into the other aperture so that rotation of said bolt 40 will result in relative motion between said bolt and the one-piece casting 32 and will have the effect of tilting the reduction gear box 31 and housing 29 out of the vertical in a sideways direction.

The one-piece casting 32 is arranged so that the two transverse bosses 33 and 34 lie at right angles to each other so that in the assembled condition the two bolts 38 and 40 will also lie at right angles to each other and are thus adapted to tilt the lhousing 29 of the brushcarrying shaft 30 in each of two directions which lie at right angles to each other.

Thus, considering the position where the parallel motion linkage supporting the gutter sweeping brush 12 is disposed adjacent to the side of the vehicle so that it lies substantially parallel to the longitudinal centre line of the vehicle, the upper end of said housing 29 may be tilted forwardly by operating the bolt 38 `and may then be tilted outwardly by operating the bolt I40 so that the brush itself will be tilted in order to place it in such an orientation as will allow the bristles in that sector of the brush which lies forwardly and outwardly of the centre line of the brush to come into contact with the ground. Further, it will be realized that by reason of said parallel motion linkage this pre-set orientation of the brush 12 will be maintained as said parallel motion linkage is swung outwardly from the side of the vehicle and also when said parallel motion linkage -is lifted or lowered in order to bring the brush into its operative sweeping position. l

The drive to the brush-carrying shaft is taken from the power unit of the vehicle by means of the telescopic shaft 14 above referred to and said telescopic shaft 14` is connected at its inner end by'a universal joint 41 (see FIGURE 2) and at its outer end to the reduction gear bo-x 3-1 at the top of the housing 29. In order to prevent excessive angularity on said universal joint coupling 41, it is desirable to arrange that said telescopic shaft 14 projecting from the universal joint should be maintained in a given transverse direction with reSPect 't0 the side of the vehicle.

Accordingly we arrange that the reduction gear box 31 is maintained in a given orientation with respect to the vehicle when the brush 12 is swung-outwardly away from the vehicle by means of a further parallel motion linkage. Such linkage embodies a horizontal member 42 (see FIGURE 4) which is fixed to the machiney and to which one end of the vertical member 15 is pivotally connected a tie rod 43 is also pivotally connected to the horizontal member 42 about upright axis, the tie rod is being pivotally connected at its other end about an upright axis to the housing 29 of the brush carrying shaft 30. The opposite ends of the tie rod 43 are connected to the housing 29 and member 42 respectively, by ball joints 43a.

Said tie rod 43 forms one of a pair of longitudinal elements of said further or second parallel motion linkage and the other longitudinal element of the pair is in fact constituted by the lower longitudinal member 22 of the irst mentioned parallel motion linkage which is also connected to said housing 29 so that the effect of the tie rod connection is that the reduction gear box 31 which is connected to said housing 29 will always be maintained in a predetermined orientation when the brush is swung inwardly or outwardly into or -away from the side of the vehicle. In this way we avoid placing undue strain on the universal joint 41.

The housing 29 is, as previously mentioned, adapted to be tilted in each of two mutually transverse directions by means of rotating the two bolts 38 and 40 and in order to allow said tilting motions, the lower longitudinal mem ber 22 of the parallel motion linkage supporting the brush 12 is connected to said housing 29v by means of a forked member having two arms (see FIGURE 6), such arms being indicated by reference numeral 44. Said two arms are pivotally connected to the housing 29 about a horizontal axis defined by the pivot 26 and the closed end of the forked member has iixed therein a projecting stud 45 (see FIGURE 3) which is pivotally mounted in a plate 22a connecting the ends of members 23 and 24 so' that considering the brush in its innermost position adjacent to the side of the vehicle, the upper end of the, brush housing 29 may be tilted forwardly so that the housing rotates about the pivot 26 between the forks 44 of the housing 29 and may be tilted outwardly laway from the side of the vehicle so that the housing rotates about the axis of the stud 45.

We thus arrange that any desired orientation of the gutter or channel sweeping brush 12 will be maintained when said brush is swung outwardly away from the side of the vehicle. i

As above described, the gutter l sweeping brush is adapted to be adjustably inclined to the vertical in two mutually transverse predetermined directions so that with such an arrangement it is possible to adjust the housing of the brush carrying shaft so that only those bristles which lie in that quadrant disposed forwardly of the axis of rotation and outwardly of said axis of rotation with respect to the machine are brought into contact with the surface being sweep.

In an alternative embodiment we may, however, arrange that the housing and thus the associated gutter sweeping brush is adjustable in one direction only with respect to the vertical so that in such an arrangement all the bristles lying forwardly of the axis of rotation are brought into contact with the surface being swept. Such an arrangement is easily achieved, of course, by effecting adjustment of `only one of the abovementioned bolts,

l namely, the bolt 38. yIn 4this'case it would not be neces'- Sary to provide the other bolt 40 and connectionjrbetween the casting 32 and the upper longitudinal member 21 may be achieved if necessary by means of a relatively fixed member so as to form a rigid connection between Said casting 32 and said upper longitudinal membery 21; Thus in such an arrangement adjustment of the housing 29'would be possible in one predeterminedy direction only, namely, a direction whichy is parallel or vsubstantially parallel to the direction of advancement of the machine (considering the brush at its intermost position with respect vto the machine.)

- What we claim then is: Y 1. A road vsweeping machine having a gutter sweeping brush anda brush carrying shaft which is arranged to be rotated about a substantially vertical axis and on which said gutter sweeping brush is mounted, wherein there is provided a mounting for said gutter sweeping brush comprising a four-member parallel motion linkage having a vertical member pivotally connected to the machine about a substantially vertical axis, two vertically spaced longitudinal members, each pivotally connected at one end to said vertical member about a substantially horizontal axis transverse to the direction of advancement of the machine and a fourth member comprising two parts, one part forming a housing-for said brushcarrying shaft and being pivotally connected to the lower of said two longitudinal members about two mutually transverse substantially horizontal axes and the other part being connected to the upper longitudinal member, said other part being provided with a pair of mutually transverse threaded apertures, a pair of screw threaded members, one of said screw threaded members being connected to said housing and restrained against axial movement with respect thereto, the other of said two screw threaded members being connected to the upper longitudinal member and being restrained against axial movement with respect thereto, said two screw threaded members being adapted to engage respectively with the two mutually transverse threaded apertures provided in said other part whereby said housing is adapted to be inclined to the vertical intwo predetermined mutually transverse directions.

2. A road sweeping machine having a gutter sweeping brush and a vbrush carrying shaft which is arranged to be rotated about a substantially vertical axis and on which said gutter sweeping brush is mounted, wherein there is provided a mounting for said gutter sweeping brush comprising a four-member parallel motion linkage having a vertical member pivotally connected to the machine about a substantially vertical axis, two vertically spaced longitudinal members, each pivotally connected at one end to said vertical member about a substantially horizontal axis transverse to the direction of advancement of the machine and a fourth member comprising two parts, one part forming a housing for said brush carrying shaft and being pivotally connected to the lower of said two longitudinal members about two mutually transverse substantially horizontal axes and the other part being connected to the upper longitudinal member, a reduction gear box mounted at-the upper end of said housing, said other part of the two-part fourth member being provided with a pair of mutually transverse threaded apertures, a pair of screw threaded members, one of said members being connected to said reduction gear box so as to be restrained against axial movement with respect thereto and the other screw threaded member being connected to the upper longitudinal member so as to be restrained against axial movement with respect thereto, said two screw threaded members engaging respectively with said two threaded apertures whereby said housing is adjustably inclinable in two mutually transverse predetermined directions with respect to the vertical.

3. A road sweeping machine having a gutter sweeping brush and a brush carrying shaft which is arranged to be rotated about a substantially vertical axis and on which said gutter sweeping brush is mounted, wherein there is provided a mounting for said cutter sweeping brush comprising a four-member parallel motion linkage operating in a vertical plane having a vertical member pivotally connected to the machine about a vertical axis, two vertically spaced longitudinal members, each having a pivotal connection at one end to said vertical member about a horizontal axis transverse to the direction of advancement of the machine, and a fourth member comprising two parts, one part forming a housing for said brush-carrying shaft and having a pivotal connection with the lower of said two longitudinal members about two mutually transverse horizontal axes and the other part having a pivotal connection with the upper longitudinal member about an axis parallel to said first mentioned horizontal axis, the distance between the pivotal connection at one end and the pivotal connection at the other end of each longitudinal member being equal, fixed and constant for all positions of the linkage, a reduction gear box mounted on said housing, a second parallel motion linkage operating in a horizontal plane connected between said housing and the machine so as to maintain the housing in a predetermined orientation with respect to the machine, and connecting means for connecting together said two parts of the two-part fourth member, said connecting means being adjustable so as to permit of said housing being inclined to the vertical in two mutually transverse predetermined directions without displacing the axes of the pivotal connections of the fourth member.

4. A road sweeping machine having a gutter sweeping brush and a brush carrying shaft which is arranged to be rotated about a substantially vertical axis and on which said gutter sweeping brush is mounted, wherein there is provided a mounting for said gutter sweeping brush comprising a four-member parallel motion linkage having a vertical member pivotally connected to the machine about a substantially vertical axis, two longitudinal members, each pivotally connected at one end to said vertical member about a substantially horizontal axis transverse to the direction of advancement of the machine and each comprising a framework embodying aV pair of spaced parallel longitudinally extending arms, and a fourth member comprisingvtwo parts, one part forming a housing for said brush carrying shaft and being pivotally connected to one of said two longitudinal members about two mutuallyA transverse substantially horizontal axes and they other part being connected to the other longitudinal member, said other part being provided with a pair of mutually transverse threaded apertures, a pairof screw threaded members, one of said members being connected to said housing so as to be restrained against axial movement with respect thereto and the otherof said screw threaded members being connected between the two longitudinally extending arms of one of said longitudinal members, said screw threaded members being engaged with said threaded apertures so as to permit of said housing being adjustably inclined in two mutually transverse predetermined directions with respect to the vertical, and lifting means connected to one of said two longitudinal members for the purpose of lifting and lowering said parallel motion linkage and associated gutter sweeping brush.

5. A road sweeping machine having a gutter sweeping brush and a brush carrying shaft which is arranged to be 'rotated labout a substantially-vertical axis and on which said gutter sweepingbrush is mounted, wherein there is provided amounting forrsfaid gutter sweeping brush comprising a four-member parallel motion linkage operating in a vertical plane having a vertical member pivotally connected to the machine about a substantially vertical axis, .two vertically spaced longitudinal members, each pivotally connected at one end to said vertical member about a substantially horizontal axis transverse to the direction of advancement of the machine and a fourth member comprising two parts, one part forming a housing for said brush carrying shaft and being pivotally connected to the lower one of said two longitudinal members about two mutually transverse substantially horizontal axes and the other-Apart being connected to the upper longitudinal-member, a reduction gear box mounted on the upper end of 'said housing, said other part being provided with a pair of mutually transverse threaded apertures, `a pair of screw threaded members engaging respectively with said threaded apertures and being connected respectively to said reduction gear box and to said upper longitudinal member so as to be restrained against axial movement'relative thereto, a second parallel motion linkage operating in a horizontal plane connected between said housing and the machine, said second parallel motion linkage embodying a pair of horizontal spaced longitudinal elements,one of which is constituted by one of said longitudinal members of the first mentioned parallel motion linkage.

6. A road sweeping machine having a gutter sweeping brush and a brush carrying shaft which is arranged to be rotated about a substantially vertical axis and on which said gutter sweeping brush is mounted, wherein there is provided a mounting for said gutter sweeping brush comprising a four member parallel motion linkage having a vertical member pivotally connected to the machine about a substantially vertical axis, two vertically spaced longitudinal members, each pivotally connected at one end to said vertical member about a substantially horizontal axis transverse to the direction of advancement of the machine, and a fourth member comprising two parts, one part forming a housing for said brushcarrying shaft and being pivotally connected to the lower of said two longitudinal members about a substantially horizontal axis and the other part being pivotally connected to the upper longitudinal member about a substantially horizontal axis, the distance between the pivotal connection at one end and the pivotal connection at the other end of each longitudinal member being equal, fixed and constant for all positions of the linkage, wherein said other part of the fourth member is provided with a boss formed with a screw-threaded aperture, and a screw-threaded member extends through a pair of lugs on said housing and is restrained against axial movement with respect thereto, said screw-threaded member engaging with said threaded aperture provided in said boss whereby said housing is adjustably inclinable in one predetermined direction with respect to the vertical.

FOREVIGN PATENTS Great Britain Apr. 1l, 1951 

